I have seen some nice weathered projects using brick-built techniques. A good example of brick build weathering.  But I have found that sometimes there is no way to create a small weathering effect typical of trains from 1900-late 1930s or even and dirt/ rust streaking effects that don't look post-apocalyptic with zombies hanging out around them.  I like weathering like this, link to model train weathering, which has little rust and looks more used than new but it doesn't look like it was in a zombie war zone. More examples For the friends across the pond and a Few examples with rolling stock.  So I thought why can't we just weather like this, with an airbrush or pastels. Well, I tried some 'naughty for a purist' weather with some charcoal(chalkboard black and some antique white to make a nice grey similar to dark bley.   I painted it to some slopes with a paintbrush in two coats.  Then I let it dry for 2ish hours until the fun began.  I wanted some streaking effects(not really because I only had one color) so I sanded with a 600grit piece of sandpaper in one direction. But the result wasn't what was hoped,  the part simply looked like an off bley.  

 

Overall I think it would look better if a loco/rolling stock or a test wall was airbrushed(some model trains are plastic so it should look good) just to see what would happen. 

 

Has anyone tried painting or airbrushing their models to get a better look?  Please post your experiences, comments, questions, and purists your rage because someone painted a lego brick!

And please post some pics if anyone has done some brick-built or airbrushed weathering. 

-Coal Fired

 

P.S. soon I will post my new build and a few older ones sometime next month. 

Edited April 27, 20204 yr by Coal Fired Bricks

Weathering with model trains is very common of course, but I don't think it is a really good idea for several reasons with LEGO:

- you probably cannot reuse weathered bricks
- weathering effects would also be possible using bricks: 

  

Just now, JopieK said:

Weathering with model trains is very common of course, but I don't think it is a really good idea for several reasons with LEGO:

- you probably cannot reuse weathered bricks
- weathering effects would also be possible using bricks: 

I do see what you are saying.  Once the act is done it can never be reversed(maybe paint thinner).  And some models(details and electrics and square things) can look good.  But because of TLG's small color selection and because it is hard to get natural shapes, this creates a sorta wacky post-apocalyptic looking train in my opinion.  I think airbrushing may create a nice effect that can have natural shapes(look at the links in my first post) and also you can color half of a part or create streaking effects. And bonus there are thousands of colors that can be mixed together in infinite ways to create many different colors. 

 

Has anyone tried this?

-Coal Fired

If you Google you see some people doing it on LEGO aircraft and starwars figures (mostly clones). Maybe adding decals / stickers would also work and that would be reversible of course!

Just now, JopieK said:

If you Google you see some people doing it on LEGO aircraft and starwars figures (mostly clones). Maybe adding decals / stickers would also work and that would be reversible of course!

I googled 'lego weathering' and yes I do see it on stickers and that looks great the only downside is if you did weather across the bottom of a rail car you would cover up all the individual bricks.

 

-Coal Fired

Model train weathering using decals is becoming slightly popular.  Here and here are a couple examples available on Ebay, you can even do graffiti with stickers.  Something similar to this could be done as a sticker @legoman666

Sal
WFB, WI

I don't weather my LEGO®.  I like my LEGO® toy world to be shiny and clean but I've painted LEGO® for name bricks and stuff.  Inexpensive dollar store acrylic craft paints can be rubbed off LEGO® with a wet towel.  They might be an option if you want your weathering to be reversible and reuse the bricks for other MOCs.